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That's because they will still want to be with spouses, children and other family members, many of whom number among the 11 million undocumented immigrants already here.

If the only reforms that occur benefit those sectors needing highly skilled workers and no employee verification is included, this will still mean continued unauthorized hiring in those sectors with workers who do jobs Americans won't.

And if even more border security is the emphasis, all these economic and family unification factors, unaddressed, will still provide enough of a draw to undercut those security efforts.

All of this speaks for a comprehensive approach — including an
earned pathway to citizenship.

Our hope is that opposition to this will change in 2014, because, absent a grander, unified design, piecemeal just won't work.